Method and machine for clamping plates on fabric and leather pieces

ABSTRACT

A method for clamping a plate on a sheet or fabric material support, comprises the step of providing a plate and a counter-plate, the plate comprising a plurality of oin supporting elements bearing, on a non exposed to the view rear side thereof a plurality of pins for engagement each in a corresponding hole of the counter-plate, characterized in that method further comprises the step of providing a pre-plate including a plurality of temporary attachment points on non exposed to the view parts of said elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and machine or apparatus forclamping plates or tags on fabric and leather pieces.

The field of the invention is that of those plates, usually made of ametal material, which, for ornamental purposes, are clamped or fixed onan exposed to the view surface of a sheet material, such as fabric,leather and the like materials for making garments, leather goods, andother fittings in the fashion and the like industry.

More specifically, the plates or tags the invention is related tocomprise a set of letters of other objects and signs having differentgeometrical configurations or patterns, and made of a metal material,such as a zinc, aluminium and magnesium alloy, so-called “ZAMA”, andclamped to the fabric material.

An example of the above plates or tags comprises a plurality of lettersor other geometrical patterns, so assembled as to form a single rigidbody.

Said prior plates have the advantage of preserving their originalgeometrical pattern, but the drawback of exposing to the view the bar orframe elements holding the plate parts, such as said letters, joinedwith one another for providing a single rigid plate body.

To overcome this drawback, it is also known to use temporary plates, theso-called “pre-plates”, including coupling means for coupling the plateparts, which coupling means, however, must be removed after havingclamped the plates to a desired sheet or fabric piece, said pre-platesalso including an outer support element, in the form of a frame, towhich the outer edge portions of the letters are temporarily anchored.

This frame support, in turn, has the drawback that, after having removedthe letters therefrom, a portion of the fabric surface, usually damagedby the frame removal process, together with the letter damaged partsremain exposed to the view.

Moreover, metal letters tend to release, because of the chemical agentsused for washing or processing leather and fabric materials, substanceswhich may stain or alter the original aesthetic aspect of the platecoupled fabric.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the aim of the present invention is to provide a method andmachine for clamping plates or tags without means for coupling theindividual plate forming components and not damaging the sheet materialssaid plates are applied to.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the above aim, as wellas yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, areachieved by a method and machine for clamping plates or tags on fabricand leather pieces according to the accompanying claims.

With respect to the prior art, the invention provides the advantagesthat the inventive plate comprises letters and the like, which aredetached from one another, and does not exhibit damaged parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention willbecome more apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosureof a preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of anindicative, but not limitative, example in the accompanying drawings,where:

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an inventive plate applied on a fabricmaterial support;

FIG. 2 shows a pre-plate therefrom the plate of FIG. 1 has beenobtained;

FIG. 3 shows a counter-plate used for clamping to a fabric the plateshown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 to 6 show different steps of a method according to the presentinvention for assembling a plate or tag to a fabric material;

FIG. 7 shows a further method step for assembling a counter-plate to aplate; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 show further method steps for assembling the inventiveplates to a fabric material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to FIG. 1, the reference number 1 shows the inventiveplate, comprising a plurality of letters 2 and clamped to a fabricmaterial 3 through a counter-plate 4.

The letters 2 of the plate 1 and corresponding elements 5 of thecounter-plate 4 (FIG. 3) are all preferably made of a metal or any othersuitable material.

As shown, the letters 2 of the plate 1 comprise, on their rear face,that is the face thereof not exposed to the view in an assembledcondition of the plate, a plurality of pins 6, for engaging incorresponding holes 7 of the elements 5 of the counter-plate 4 (FIG. 3)to be riveted on the latter.

The inventive pre-plate, generally indicated by the reference number 8in FIG. 2, comprises said plate letters 2 and a plurality of rods orbars 9 thereon the free end portions of said pins 6 are integrallyremovably formed.

FIGS. 4 to 6 show a method step for preparing the plate 1 to beassembled to the fabric material 3. In this step, the pre-plate 8 isheld, at its letters 2, at the level of opposite jaws 10 and 11 of apunch 12 suitable for applying the plate 1, said jaws 10, 11 beingdriven from a first moved away position (FIG. 4) for engaging saidletters 2 in corresponding seats 13 formed in the body of the punch 12,to a second position for holding the pre-plate 8 at the level of saidpins 6 (FIG. 5).

With the pre-plate 8 clamped to the punch 12, the rod elements 9 of FIG.5 are manually removed from the pins 6, thereby allowing the elements 5of the counter-plate 4 to be engaged in their respective holes 7, thecounter-plate 4 being in turn engaged in a respective seat 14 of acorresponding counter-punch 15 (FIGS. 6 and 7).

Starting from the spaced position of the punch 12, including the plateof FIG. 6, and of the counter-punch 15, including the counter-plate ofFIG. 7, the fabric material 3 to which the plate 1 must be clamped isarranged therebetween.

The clamping operation is performed by moving the punch 12 andcounter-punch 15 toward one another, to cause at first the plate pin 6to pass through the fabric material 3, and then by engaging said pins 6in the holes 7 of the counter-plate 4, while simultaneously riveting theend portions of said pins in said holes, and then by moving the jaws 10and 11 away from one another to release the plate 1 in a conditionproperly clamped to the fabric material 3, as shown in FIG. 1.

Advantageously, the counter-punch 15 comprises a plurality of wedgeprojections 16 designed for breaking tongue elements 17 coupling theelements 5 of the counter-plate 4, with the punch element 12 andcounter-punch element 15 in a “closed” condition thereof.

Said the jaws 10 and 11 are advantageously moved away from one anothercooperating inclined surfaces 18 and 19 of said jaws and correspondinginclined surfaces 20 and 21 of the counter-punch 15, operating againstcounter-biasing return elastic means, not shown.

It should be apparent that, instead of the rod elements 9 it would bealso possible to use other equivalent means, provided that the letters 2are anchored or clamped at the level of their not exposed to the viewparts, in particular at said pins 6.

Thus, after having detached the rod elements 9, possibly damaged partswill be arranged on the not exposed to the view side of the plate,together with polluting substances released thereby.

According to a modified embodiment, the rod elements 10 and 11 couldalso be clamped on the side surface of the pins, and could have anydesired configuration depending on the pattern and arrangement of theelements 2.

1. A method for clamping a plate on a fabric material support, saidmethod comprising the step of providing a plate and a counter-plate,said plate comprising a plurality of pin supporting elements bearing, ona non exposed to the view rear side thereof, a plurality of pins forengagement each in a in corresponding hole of said counter-plate,characterized in that said method further comprises the step ofproviding a pre-plate including a plurality of temporary attachmentpoints on non exposed to the view parts of said elements.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1, characterized in that said temporary attachmentpoints are made at said pins.
 3. A method according to claim 1,characterized in that said method comprises the steps of: (a) formingsaid pre-plate with a plurality of coupling rods for coupling to saidpins of said elements; (b) temporarily locking said pre-plate betweenjaws of a punch element; (c) disengaging said rods from said pins; and(d) engaging said pins in said holes of said counter-plate, through aninterposition of a fabric material.
 4. A machine for carrying out themethod according to claim 1, characterized in that said machinecomprises holding means for temporary holding said pre-plate.
 5. Amachine according to claim 4, characterized in that said holding meanscomprise a punch element including punch element jaws movable from aproximal position for holding said elements of said pre-plate, and adistal releasing position for releasing said plate, after having appliedsaid plate on said fabric material.
 6. A machine according to claim 5,characterized in that said punch element comprises a plurality ofrecesses for said elements.
 7. A machine according to claim 6,characterized in that said machine further comprises a counter-punchelement having a recess for said counter-plate, and wedge shapedprojections for mutually detaching or disengaging the elements of thecounter-plate.
 8. A machine according to claim 7, characterized in thatsaid jaws and said counter-punch element have inclined surfacescooperating to move away said jaws, against return elastic means, assaid plate is applied to said fabric material.
 9. A pre-plate forapplying at least a plate on a fabric material by a method according toclaim 1, characterized in that said pre-plate comprises anchoring meansfor temporarily anchoring said elements of said plate, wherein theattachment points between said means and said elements are arranged on anon exposed to the view part of said elements.
 10. A pre-plate accordingto claim 9, characterized in that said anchoring means comprise aplurality of rod elements coupled to said elements by coupling pinsarranged on the rear non exposed to the view side of said elements. 11.A pre-plate according to claim 10, characterized in that said pre-platecomprises a counter-plate including a plurality of elements adapted tocooperate with said elements of said plate and comprising a plurality ofholes and coupling tongues for mutually coupling said elements.
 12. Aplate including exposed to the view elements for application on a fabricmaterial element, characterized in that said plate is made by a methodaccording to claim 1.